Unmanned aircraft such as UAVs and UASs are aircrafts that lack a pilot onboard. Unmanned aircraft are typically operated under remote control by a human operator or autonomously by an onboard computer. Unlike manned aircraft, UAVs are often used for military and commercial applications in environments that are unacceptably too costly and/or dangerous to humans. Examples of such applications may include policing, surveillance, and testing. UAVs, for instance, may be used to detect enemy threats autonomously from aerial vantage points.
Launching mechanisms for UAVs generally require a large open space. Thus, it is often desirable to have a launcher designed to propel the UAV within a relatively short distance. In order for a UAV launcher to achieve the smallest possible launch distance, energy must be applied to the aircraft within the smallest period of time and without exceeding the aircraft's acceleration limits. This is generally accomplished by applying a constant force to the aircraft uniformly over the launch distance. While the use of energy storage devices such as pneumatic cylinders have been used to launch unmanned aircraft, use of such storage devices generally results with energy increasing linearly with displacement.
Therefore, based on the foregoing, a need exists that overcomes these deficiencies. The present disclosure solves these deficiencies and generally represents a new and useful innovation in the realm of launchers for unmanned aircraft.